


Break Our Hearts (And Our Legs) part V

by Lukutoukka



Series: Break Our Hearts (And Our Legs) [5]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Coming Out, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Still, but like, dealing with coming out, i guess?, publicly coming out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 12:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15886278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lukutoukka/pseuds/Lukutoukka
Summary: Dex arrives at Derek's. More about Kent.





	Break Our Hearts (And Our Legs) part V

**Author's Note:**

> My paper was due today, so I'm celebrating my freedom. Kind of.
> 
> As always, many thanks to my beta readers (and cheerleaders). Sorry for all the angst, y'all, I love you.

The elevator doors open and Derek just barely stops himself from rushing forwards, just hugging Dex. He doesn’t know if he’s welcome to do so. Instead, he makes an aborted movement before stopping and taking Dex in.

He looks thin, thinner than he should at this point in the playoffs, his face tight and tired and scared, so scared. His loose sweatpants, cut off over the knee with the brace, and the crutches all make him seem smaller than he is, and Derek’s heart shatters into pieces. Dex hadn’t, historically, been a strong rock no matter what, but he’d never looked that bad, not even when both their hockey and their relationship were at the worst - at the same time.

It’s only when the elevator doors begin to slide shut again that Derek moves, steps between the elevator doors to keep them open, towards Dex, who hadn’t moved at all until now. He’d just been staring at Derek, with that scared, lost look on his face, and Derek just can’t. He steps closer, close enough to touch.

“Can I hug you?” he asks, and Dex nods, tries to come closer to Derek, but is hindered by the bag he’s got slung over his shoulder and his crutches, obviously not used to coordinating both at the same time. So Derek takes the last step towards Dex and wraps him into his arms.

More or less. Turns out, hugging someone on crutches and with a sports bag over one shoulder is rather awkward.

***

The next call Kent makes is to his agent.

“I want to come out,” he says before she even finishes the hello. “What do I need to do?”

The line stays quiet for a bit and then: “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll send you my contingency file,” Laura says and hangs up. Kent hadn’t really expected warm words from her - that wasn’t the type of person Laura was - but still, it hurts a little.

 _Breathe_ , he reminds himself, when his phone lights up in his hand. It’s a news alert, the same that had informed him about Poindexter coming out, only now it reads

 _Jack Zimmermann comes out as bi_.

Kent clicks on the icon, head spinning and fingers trembling.

_Jack Zimmermann, 32, two time Stanley Cup winner, Captain of the Falconers and son of hockey legend “Bad” Bob Zimmermann, comes out as bi “in solidarity” with William Poindexter._

_“My long-time partner and I felt it was important…”_

Kent stops reading.

***

Dex sits on Derek’s couch, a glass of water on the table in front of him, his phone, switched off, next to it. He stares at his phone.

He should probably call people. Chowder. His parents, maybe.

Check his messages?

But he’s afraid.

Derek had just deposited him on the couch, given him the glass of water and left to call someone. Dex isn’t sure who.

But Derek had also pulled him into a hug to welcome him and maybe…

“Your phone doesn’t bite, you know.” Derek’s voice disrupts Dex’s thoughts, makes him look up.

“You sure about that?” he asks and doesn’t even try to smile. “I’m the first NHL player to come out, I’m fairly certain that it might. At the very least, it’s going to show me messages I might not want to see.”

Derek shrugs, as if to say “maybe” and they’re sitting together in silence for a bit.

“You should in any case call Chowder,” Derek says finally, and Dex closes his eyes. Fuck, Chowder.

“He called me earlier to ask if I knew where you were. I called him just now, but you should talk to him yourself.”

Dex nods and slowly turns his phone on.

After it’s booted up, there’s a while before it stops vibrating with missed calls, messages and notifications of apps Dex doesn’t even remember he had. He ignores all of them to call Chowder.

The line doesn’t even ring more than twice, before Chowder answers with a disapproving: “William Poindexter.”

“Hi Chowder,” Will says, and winces only a little bit. “Sorry I took off without telling you.”

Chowder sighs. “I get it, Will, I do. But a note or something would’ve been nice.” The line is quiet for a bit, then Chowder says: “You didn’t take off because you thought we’d have a problem with you coming out, did you?”

“No, not really.” Dex sighs. ”But I… I don’t know. I didn’t, like, want to burden you with everything?”

Chowder snorts, just a little. “You wouldn’t have, you know that. Anyway, we’re here for you, even when you’re in Vegas.”

Dex swallows down the tears that are threatening to spill over. “Thanks Chowder. I owe you.”

“Nah, this goes without saying, Will. It’s what friends do for each other.”

***

“You want to do what, Kent?”

“I want to come out,” Kent says, holds his breath.

There’s a snort from the other end of the line. “Good luck, man,” Carl says, and hangs up.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave kudos and a comment to make this author very happy, or come scream at me over on [tumblr](https://vanillivilovesreus.tumblr.com).
> 
> Because it as fun to write, there's now also another part that takes a hard turn towards happy, AKA the alternate timeline. It's the next part in the series.


End file.
